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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28166964">close</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/theblackhall/pseuds/theblackhall'>theblackhall</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pentagon (Korea Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Carnival, Fluff, M/M, Strangers to Lovers, roller coaster ride, side 2won, side kinan, wooyu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:06:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,748</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28166964</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/theblackhall/pseuds/theblackhall</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>where two strangers get stuck on a roller coaster ride together due to (perfectly timed) technical malfunction.</p><p>or in other words: yuto gets scared and wooseok just wants to hold his hand.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adachi Yuto/Jung Wooseok</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>79</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Constellations Fest for Pentagon</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>close</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this took a while to write because i didn’t want the story to appear too mundane. enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>From the peak of the ferris wheel, the people at the fair looked like ants. At least, that’s what they looked like according to Jung Wooseok. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sky had slowly darkened above him, the never ending canvas a shade of navy blue with remnants of the sunset tinting visible clouds in orange hues. He let his gaze burn into the starless night as the wheel turned, slowly bringing him closer to the ground again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well that was anticlimactic,” Wooseok commented when he got off the ride.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was the third ride that he had taken alone, and he began to feel the boredom tearing through his brain. Fun fairs would be enjoyable if your friends don’t ditch you just to hang out with the people that their hearts do somersaults for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After four hours of begging and endless groaning, Wooseok had finally agreed to accompany his roommate Hyunggu to the new fair in town. No matter how many times he had denied his friend’s request, he knew the man wouldn’t shut up until he said yes. However, Wooseok was fully aware that Hyunggu only asked him because he wanted to invite Yanan along.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yanan was the campus heartthrob. He also just happened to be Wooseok’s best friend, and Hyunggu didn’t hesitate to take advantage of his position as Wooseok’s roommate at all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Walking alone past the game booths, Wooseok huffed to himself, defeated. He glanced around the crowd to see if he could spot his friends—or in other words, traitors—but they were nowhere to be found. It was only eight-thirty, and he had another half hour to kill before meeting the two at the entrance as promised.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hotdogs! Come get your hotdogs!” a salesman called out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if on cue, Wooseok’s stomach began grumbling, and he swore under his breath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But I already ate a corn dog before the ferris wheel,” he muttered to himself, his eyes fixed on the hotdog stall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He took one step towards it, shook his head, and turned the other way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, Wooseok,” he mumbled, letting his feet carry him away from the line of food stalls. “You already ate too much.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he continued walking past striped tents and screaming children, Wooseok’s eyes landed on the biggest ride of the night—the roller coaster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The height of the ride required the tall man to crane his neck in order to see its peak from the ground. Wooseok squinted due to the bright lights. Screams erupted from the cart as it dove down a big drop, and Wooseok knew he needed the adrenaline rush. It was better than moping around like a lost puppy anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He made his way past tired parents with loud children, teenagers holding bunny shaped cotton candy, and three clowns tying up balloons for crying babies. The queue for the roller coaster wasn’t as long as he thought it would be, so Wooseok sighed in relief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Step right up, young man,” the staff told him once he reached the front. “That would be four tokens.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooseok reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out the last of his tokens, which happened to be exactly four left. He smiled at the staff after putting the silver coins in their palm, and went to secure himself a seat in the last row.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A lot of people liked sitting in front, but for Wooseok, sitting in the back was way more exhilarating. He could see the people before him drop first, and he would be last to feel the wind blow through his hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is more like it,” he said, buckling himself up and waiting for the others to take their seats until the cart was full.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The seat beside him didn’t remain vacant for long. A tall man approached the cart and instantly made his way towards the last row, mirroring Wooseok’s exact actions just five minutes prior. He had glowing, golden skin and raven black hair that swept across his forehead, and Wooseok looked away before he could be caught staring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A short siren blared from behind them, making Wooseok jump in his seat just as the man sat down beside him. He didn’t see, but the slightest smile appeared on the stranger’s lips at the sight of a very surprised Wooseok.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they were buckled in, the roller coaster staffs made their rounds, ensuring everyone’s safety before retreating back to their posts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A second siren blared, and the cart soon began moving forward at a slow pace. Wooseok held onto the safety harness loosely whilst he looked to the side, watching in awe as he ascended off the ground. The sound of metal against metal hummed beneath him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow,” he said lowly, feeling the cold breeze of the open air caressing his skin. He closed his eyes, preparing himself for the drops to come.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sitting beside him, completely on edge and clutching the safety harness until his knuckles turned white, was Adachi Yuto.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unlike Wooseok, Yuto was not too keen about the increasing distance between them and the ground. He looked ahead, forcing his eyes to burn into the back of the other people’s heads.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why the hell did I agree to do this?” he mentally asked himself. He wanted to bury his face in his hands, but he was not ready to let go of the harness just yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His housemates Shinwon and Changgu had made many remarks regarding his fear of heights, calling him a baby and bruising his ego. Yuto was well aware that they were joking and that they only said so to make him go on the roller coaster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Besides, he didn’t want to be that friend who wouldn’t ride anything at fun fairs, so he got himself together and went on the biggest ride.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>From his seat, he could make out the back of Shinwon and Changgu’s heads. They were sitting about six rows away from him since they had a </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing</span>
  </em>
  <span> for front seats. Shinwon was most probably more afraid of riding the roller coaster than he was, but he knew that man would act as if he’s the toughest person on earth around his boyfriend.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” a voice suddenly asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Startled, Yuto cursed under his breath, earning a chuckle from the man beside him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry but you look really…pale.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooseok wanted to jump off the roller coaster right then and there. He didn’t mean to be so </span>
  <em>
    <span>blunt</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But he also couldn’t help it. The poor guy looked like he was about to throw up in his own mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I, uh, don’t really like heights,” said Yuto, his deep voice coming out smaller than intended.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, kinda had that figured.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>First impressions don’t always matter</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Wooseok thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The stranger was clad in black from head to toe as opposed to his own red sweater and plaid trousers. He had thought the man intimidating when he first got into the cart with him, but the image faded the moment Yuto spoke, sounding like a lost child.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had reached the top of the roller coaster, and the cart was then moving in a semi-circle, turning towards the first drop of the ride.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooseok glanced at the man beside him, who was visibly inhaling deep breaths.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll be okay,” he found himself saying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And for the first time in nearly ten minutes, Yuto turned his head, his eyes meeting Wooseok’s. The latter was giving him an assuring smile. The kind of smile that would wash all your worries away after a long, tiring day; the kind of smile which one could feel its authenticity, and Yuto felt warmth engulfing his heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Yuto could open his mouth to thank the handsome stranger, the cart stopped for a brief moment, and he felt his heart stop along with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A scream escaped his own mouth, blending with the shrieks of the other people on the ride. His grip on the harness grew tighter. It was as if his inner organs had leapt out of his body and were left behind when he fell forwards down a ninety-degree drop at supersonic speed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, it was only a hundred miles per hour, but to Yuto it seemed supersonic enough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Somehow, as the cart went up and down in loops big and small, Yuto managed to glance at Wooseok. The sight nearly baffled him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooseok probably had no fear, according to Yuto. His arms were thrown up in the air the entire time, his mouth screaming with joy as the wind blew through his hair, sending it into different directions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With the lights blurred behind him at the speed of the cart, and the flush in Wooseok’s cheeks courtesy of the adrenaline, Yuto found himself staring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His screaming ceased, and his sweaty palms unconsciously loosened their grip on the metal handles of the harness. Perhaps it was the cart slowing down as it approached the final—and highest—drop of the ride, or maybe it was just the sight of pure joy and bliss on Wooseok’s face that made him appear fearless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuto blinked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello? Earth to stranger?” Wooseok waved one hand in front of Yuto’s face. “Are you alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Right, sorry. Hello.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another mental face-palm to add to the list. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What are you doing, Yuto?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooseok chuckled, “How are you feeling? You got some colour in your cheeks now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why the hell would you say that, Jung Wooseok? Why?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Heat rose to Yuto’s face, the tips of his ears reddening as he tore his gaze away from Wooseok.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine… At least I think I am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s good, the ride’s almost finished anyway,” Wooseok smiled. “Do you—”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Clank.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A series of “What?” and “What’s going on?” erupted from the people in front of them when the cart suddenly halted several feet away from where the drop was.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god,” Yuto breathed, pulling his damp palms away from the handles. He buried his fingers in his hair and continuously tugged at the roots out of fear. “Oh my god, we’re stuck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s okay,” Wooseok cooed, turning in his seat to face Yuto as far as the harness allowed. “It’s probably a regular malfunction since it’s just a fun fair ride.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But”—Yuto looked down from the cart, gasping at the endless space between him and the ground—“I can’t do this, oh my god, what if we can’t go back down? What if the safety harness malfunctions too? I’ve seen Final Destination before I know what happens next—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Whoa, hey,” Wooseok reached over for Yuto’s hand and held it gently in his grip. “You’re gonna be okay. I don’t know about Final Destination but if you survived watching that movie and you’re brave enough to get on this ride, you can get through this.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A siren blared through the park and the two looked down simultaneously, seeing onlookers on the ground pointing at the cart stuck seconds away from the big drop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuto’s breathing grew rapid and he tightened his grip on Wooseok.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Talk to me,” he managed to say between his sharp breathing, “please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who did you come here with?” asked Wooseok, his thumb subconsciously rubbing over Yuto’s knuckles to soothe him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My friends. Two of them. They’re here too actually,” Yuto pointed forward while his eyes squinted to see, “somewhere in the front row.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me guess, they made you join them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuto nodded frantically, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>That</span>
  </em>
  <span> and also the fact that I don’t wanna be the debbie downer in the group, you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gotcha,” said Wooseok. His gaze lingered on Yuto’s slender fingers in between his own before looking up at the man. “I just realized… I never got your name.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small smile appeared on the man’s face, his breathing slowed back to its regular pace. He squeezed Wooseok’s hand and looked into his eyes, hoping that his gratitude showed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Yuto.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooseok smiled back, squeezing his hand in return. “Hi, Yuto. I’m Wooseok.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi, Wooseok,” Yuto chuckled at the sudden formality. “What brings you to this faulty roller coaster?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other used his free hand to massage his imaginary beard, biting back a smile when Yuto laughed at his antics. He hummed, raising an eyebrow as he stared up at the sky above them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm, let me see... My roommate brought me here just to invite my best friend whom </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>has a crush on along with us and they ditched me to hang out together,” he turned towards Yuto, “and </span>
  <em>
    <span>voila</span>
  </em>
  <span>! Here I am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuto whistled slowly and toyed with Wooseok’s fingers on his right knee.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is harsh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell me about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, whoever your roommate is, I’m gonna have to meet him,” said Yuto.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooseok raised an eyebrow, “How come?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If it wasn’t for him, you wouldn’t be here right now to talk to me and... keep me grounded.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps it was the cold wisps of wind tickling his skin, or the constant fear of being high above the ground, but Yuto’s cheeks were painted pink in an instant, and Wooseok found himself smiling fondly at the man.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I’ll make sure you two get to meet.” He glanced around at the other people in front of them and down below, where a group of passersby had gathered to anticipate their arrival. “Once we’re back on the ground, I mean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right,” Yuto nodded curtly, his spine straightening in his seat as he stiffened at the sudden realization.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Wooseok called before he could panic again, “we’ll get down soon, they’ve probably fixed it by now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He made sure his thumb continued to trace circles on Yuto’s palm as he spoke, and he counted the seconds that passed in the latter’s breathing pattern. The numbers increased with every exhale, and Wooseok breathed a sigh of relief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>On the other hand, Yuto didn’t know when he got so brave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Among his friends, he was the only one with bad luck when talking to someone new, and it resulted in him staying single while the others slowly started dating one by one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Shinwon, his best friend of seven years, broke the news to him that he had fallen in love with their friend Changgu, Yuto wondered what had happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was it the long nights at the library, studying until three o’clock in the morning? Maybe it was their weekly karaoke session, or the fact that Changgu had always made Shinwon laugh so effortlessly until his stomach hurt, and Yuto had never seen his best friend smile as wide as he did whenever he was with the love of his life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuto loved showing affection to his friends, but he couldn’t imagine holding a conversation with someone he barely knew, let alone letting them hold his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So he savored the warmth of Wooseok’s larger hand engulfing his own, letting his eyelids flutter at the soothing sensation his traces made him feel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With every circle that Wooseok completed on his palm, Yuto found himself matching his breathing pattern to it, and the fear soon dissipated with the wind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A familiar siren blared, and like a miracle, the cart began moving forward once more. It might have taken longer than expected, but at that moment, Yuto felt like he could stay up there forever if it meant having his hand in Wooseok’s grip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Look, we’re moving!” Wooseok shouted, his voice almost drowned out by the shouting from the other riders and the faint sounds of people cheering below.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of metal against metal resumed, making Yuto’s heart race in his chest as he anticipated the final and biggest drop of the ride. As they approached it, he kept his sight fixated on none other than the man beside him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Excitement was bubbling in Wooseok’s features; his smile was so wide it reached his eyes, yet he never bothered to take his hand away from Yuto’s tight grip. The latter didn’t want to let go just yet, and Wooseok knew too well not to pull away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So when the big drop came, Wooseok was taken aback by Yuto suddenly lifting their intertwined hands up in the air. He turned to look at his new friend, surprised to see both of his arms thrown into the sky, and Wooseok copied his actions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The loudest screams of exhilaration and mild profanity wafted through the air from their mouths as the cart sped down the drop and went around a loopty-loop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The wind that blew through their hair felt like ice on the skin of their faces, but Yuto didn’t care. Right then, with his hands in the air and endless screams escaping his throat, Yuto felt a sense of euphoria surging in his veins.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt liberated. Free.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He felt like he was flying.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>When the cart finally slowed down and halted at the bottom of the ride, Wooseok and Yuto remained in their seats for several more seconds after the harnesses were pulled up. They were panting as if they had run a marathon, when really all they did was scream at the top of their lungs for the entire city to hear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was amazing,” Yuto admitted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I told you we’re gonna be okay,” smiled Wooseok as he stepped out of the cart. He extended his hand for Yuto to take once more, and the latter did so without hesitation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two walked out of the roller coaster area hand in hand, only to be stopped by two familiar figures. Shinwon and Changgu had run after them, afraid for their friend’s well-being as he was being dragged away by a taller man they knew nothing about.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yuto?” Changgu called out, making the two turn around to face them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gosh, there you are,” said Shinwon. “I was afraid you’d gone to the toilet to puke or... Wait, who is this?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes fell on their intertwined hands and he gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m Wooseok, we met on the roller coaster.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah,” Changgu cut in, “you must’ve witnessed some things up there. Especially when the cart broke down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooseok and Yuto glanced at each other, smiling knowingly while the other two looked at them with amusement in their eyes. Changgu had never seen Yuto look so comfortable with someone whom he just met.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I may or may not have contributed to a certain someone enjoying the big drop before the ride ended. So I guess that’s a win for me,” said Wooseok, squeezing Yuto’s hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s just something about that simple gesture, so full of reassurance and calming, like an anchor that Yuto didn’t know he needed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m guessing you two aren’t gonna let go of each other any time soon?” Shinwon teased. A satisfied smile appeared on his lips once he noticed the tips of his best friend’s ears reddening at the remark.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, Shinwon and I could catch up with you later, if you want?” Changgu said as he looked at Yuto.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuto glanced at Wooseok, and the latter simply nodded. They both knew the night wasn’t going to end for them just yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll text you guys,” Yuto finally said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, see you!” Changgu waved before pulling his boyfriend out of sight, blending into the crowd that came from every direction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry about them,” said Yuto once the other two left. He slowly pulled his hand back and felt the loss of touch unbearable when Wooseok’s hand fell from his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, it’s fine,” Wooseok shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweater. “My friends aren’t much different.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two began walking through the thinning crowd as the night went on. Funny enough, Wooseok felt different having Yuto right beside him as he sauntered past the stalls he had passed by multiple times earlier aimlessly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the hotdog stand he’d seen previously was in sight, he grabbed Yuto by the arm and dragged him towards it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuto laughed as he let himself be pulled forward by the taller man, laughing like a child who had just received a new toy. Before he could fish out his wallet from his back pocket, Wooseok paid for the two hotdogs and they walked away from the stand with shy smiles on their faces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really like mayonnaise, huh?” asked Wooseok after swallowing a big bite.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuto nodded as he wiped the corner of his lips with his thumb, “I do. Thank you for noticing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooseok chuckled, “Wonder how I couldn’t notice when you asked for extra mayo on a </span>
  <em>
    <span>hotdog</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey now,” Yuto smiled, “I like mayonnaise on anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Even on </span>
  <em>
    <span>ice cream</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe? I don’t know, maybe I should give it a try.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two continued to eat their hotdogs in between endless banter as they nonchalantly circled the game booths. Neon lights hanging from one striped tent to the other painted their silhouettes yellow and purple, trailing after them the way a halo would for an angel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they finished their food, Yuto helped throw away the wrapping papers in a nearby trash can and off again they went, scouting out game booths displaying the prizes that they desired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was one odd tent at the end of the line, with blue and white stripes instead of red, so Wooseok tugged at Yuto’s sleeves and showed it to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, catching rubber ducks?” Yuto asked when his gaze landed on the small pool in the center of the tent. “I’m not good at this game,” he frowned, turning towards Wooseok, but the latter was busy staring at the large Pikachu plush toy hanging between the other prizes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wah,” Wooseok cooed to himself, eyes wide open as he looked up at the toy. It was a large plush toy, and he couldn’t take his eyes off of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuto laughed silently when he followed Wooseok’s every move, circling the pole where Pikachu was hanging from just to get a better look at it. And as the latter was busy falling in love with the plush toy hanging above him, Yuto called for the staff sitting on a stool at the back of the tent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Interested?” said the staff with an amused smile on his face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hongseok</span>
  </em>
  <span> was written on his nametag.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How do I win the big plush toys?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hongseok passed him a long, wooden pole with a net attached to the end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just catch one rubber duck with the number 50 and one of those,” he pointed at the toys Wooseok was still marveling at, “would be his.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuto felt the heat rush to his face at the staff’s words and looked down, letting his cheeks tint with pink. He took out the few tokens he had left in his pocket and paid Hongseok two of them, which he received a nod with a knowing smile in return.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Usually I give three tries, but I’ll give you an extra two just in case,” said Hongseok as he stood in one corner, watching as Yuto carefully hovered the net above the many rubber ducks floating around the pool.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Realizing what was happening, Wooseok walked back towards Yuto and looked between him and the net. “I didn’t know you were playing.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just about to start,” replied Yuto. “I think it’s not that bad.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He scooped one rubber duck, and Hongseok took it out of the net to inspect the number stuck underneath it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah,” he grimaced, showing the zero stuck onto the bottom of the duck at Yuto and Wooseok, “try again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You got this!” Wooseok anticipated, the bright smile giving his face a different glow than what Yuto had witnessed earlier on the roller coaster ride.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With an ounce of newfound confidence, Yuto tried again, only to get two more nulls. His spirit didn’t waver, though, because Wooseok kept on cheering beside him, and he glanced at the large plush toy.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He will get it for Wooseok.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps as a thank you for helping him get through the ride, or for accompanying him when his friends left them alone, or maybe because he </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted</span>
  </em>
  <span> to give the toy to Wooseok just to see that bright smile once more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And of course, on his fourth try, Yuto scooped a yellow rubber duck out of the pool and away from the other identical ones.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hongseok took it out, biting his bottom lip when he flipped it over. Yuto and Wooseok were leaning over the table in front of them, waiting for the reveal when Hongseok turned the duck for them to see.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Fifty</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” shouted Hongseok when the two saw the number Yuto had picked out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yay!” Wooseok cheered behind Yuto, shaking him by the shoulders. “What do you get?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuto didn’t answer the question as he waited for Hongseok to take the Pikachu plush toy off its hanger. He came back with the toy in his arms, and Wooseok gasped loudly, covering his mouth in shock.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ta-da</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Yuto grinned, taking Pikachu from the staff and passing it to Wooseok.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With his mouth still dramatically hung open, Wooseok stared at the toy in disbelief and placed it on the table to attack Yuto with a hug. He muttered endless “Thank you”s and kissed the man’s cheek before he could stop himself, and they both pulled away with reddened faces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hongseok only wished them good night with a satisfied smile on his face. As the other two walked away and disappeared into the crowd, another staff member walked into the tent with two drinks in hand. His nametag read </span>
  <em>
    <span>Jinho</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yours,” said Jinho as he handed Hongseok his drink, “what did I miss?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The latter only smiled and sipped his drink while Jinho took a seat on the stool he’d vacated. Hongseok pointed at the empty space on the pole where the Pikachu plush toy was hanging, and Jinho gasped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>No</span>
  </em>
  <span>! That was supposed to be mine!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Too late, some lovebirds already won it. They looked really happy too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And that was the truth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooseok and Yuto walked at their own pace, slower than the children running around them from booth to booth. The former held Pikachu in his arms, burying his face in the top of the toy’s head every now and then. He would glance at Yuto when he talked, telling Wooseok the games he’d tried playing when he first arrived with Changgu and Shinwon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve always wanted to win prizes for someone else,” admitted Yuto, his voice soft and barely audible, but Wooseok heard it far too clearly as the small smile appeared on his face. “It’s not so satisfying when you win it for yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without saying a word, Wooseok held the Pikachu with one arm and reached his other hand for Yuto’s. He intertwined their fingers in the space between them and swung their hands slowly as they walked, his heart warming at the smile growing on Yuto’s face. The latter finally glanced at him, and for the first time that night, Wooseok saw his face ever so clearly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In that split second when their eyes met, the lights on the tents behind him reflected in Yuto’s brown eyes and made his skin glow. Against the bright booths and the dark sky behind them, Yuto stood smiling at him, and Wooseok could only stare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?” asked Yuto, and only then did the other realize that he had stopped walking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooseok felt his heart racing in his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re… Um, you’re really pretty.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yuto looked taken aback, but he quickly composed himself and squeezed Wooseok’s hand, tugging him forward to continue walking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think you’re pretty too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was no sugarcoating when the previous small smile on Wooseok’s face grew wider in an instant at the reply. He almost skipped in his steady footsteps, and he found himself still smiling as the moments passed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was almost nine-thirty, and Wooseok had long forgotten about meeting Hyunggu and Yanan at the entrance. His phone never rang either, and he was too caught up in the moment to care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you wanna... ditch our friends?” Yuto suddenly asked. Wooseok turned to look at him, his eyebrows raised. “I mean, yours ditched you too, so…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wooseok only grinned and squeezed Yuto’s hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thought you’d never ask.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So the two made their way towards the main entrance of the fair, intertwined hands and Pikachu alike, leaving the neon lights behind and engulfing the dimly lit streets ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where do we go?” Wooseok asked when they reached a bus stop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anywhere,” Yuto smiled, taking a step forward just so they were close enough. “I just wanna get to know you.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>wooseok + yuto + pikachu plushie = my serotonin</p></blockquote></div></div>
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